50,000 SHOES IN 50 DAYS

I copied and pasted this information from Terrace’s blog. But here’s what I’ll add to the discussion… look at those cute little faces!! With shoes to protect their precious little feet — they’ll be able to run and play and dance… like children are supposed to. How can you resist?

Footwear – it is a basic need that most of us take for granted every day. While most of the world does not have one adequate pairs of shoes, Americans have an abundance of footwear sitting idle in our closets. Your consideration of simply cleaning out your closets can make a significant difference in the quality of life of someone in need.

For us, comfort and style are the primary reasons for the footwear we select. For those without shoes the healthcare benefits is the most urgent reason footwear is so desperately needed. A quality pair of shoes protects their foot from scrapes, cuts, and contaminants that lead to potentially serious healthcare issues.

Today I am teaming up with hundreds of other bloggers in an unprecedented grassroots social media challenge:Can we affect global change through our blogs and raise enough money for 50,000 SHOES IN JUST 50 DAYS?

How Does This Work?
We’re partnering with Soles4Souls* in this amazing endeavor. The campaign and companion website 50000shoes.com just launched yesterday and already nearly 3,000 has been raised!

A $5 donation buys two pair of shoes for a person somewhere in the world with none. Imagine, for a little more than what we spend on our morning coffee we can put shoes on the feet of two needy people. All of us can give $5, many of us can give more.

1. Give
A $5 donation buys two pair of shoes! Head over to 50000shoes.com and give generously and sacrificially.

2. Promote It On Your Blog or Website
Take whatever platform you’ve been given and use it to bring change and make a difference in the world. Regardless of whether you have 150 readers or 5, you have been given influence. Use that influence to make a difference.

3. Spread The Word
Utilize your Facebook, Twitter, Myspace or any other social networking tool you have at your hand. Your have friends and family that are just a phone call or email away. Set aside some time to reach out to some people and share this opportunity with them.

Finally, can you imagine handing someone their very first pairs of shoes? By purchasing two pairs of shoes for $5, you are also automatically entered into a random drawing to personally deliver the shoes you purchased to someone in need on one the organizations trips to Mexico! The winner and an accompanying guest will travel to Mexico and will see Soles4Souls in action. The more pairs you purchase, the greater your chances are of winning. Winner must be 18 years or older with a valid US Passport. Soles4Souls will pay for airfare, transfers, lodging, and trip related meal expenses for winner and guest up to $2000 value.
*Nashville-based Soles4Souls (TM) facilitates the donations of both new and used shoes, which are used to aid the hurting worldwide. Since its inception, Soles4Souls has distributed more than 3.5 million pairs (or one pair every 23 seconds) to people in 61 countries, including Honduras, Romania, Thailand, and the Sudan. The charity has been featured on CNN Headline News, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, ABC News, FOX, CBS, and hundreds of regional outlets around North America. Soles4Souls is a 501(c)(3) recognized by the IRS; donating parties are eligible for tax advantages.